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54 



TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



■ boards, but I go to the lumber yard 

 and get lumber free from knots; it is 

 about an inch thick; I get it the width 

 of the bottom of the hive; then rip 

 2x4 piece of scantling in two and nail 

 it on the under side and then put slats 

 on; let it be the proper distance to 

 form the entrance, and you have a 

 board that will last for years, giving 

 it a coat of paint. 



Put four blocks of cement under 

 each corner to keep them up out of 

 the dirt. 



A great many bottom-boards are 

 made out of poor lumber and let the 

 mice get through. 



I go to the lumber yard and get the 

 lumber myself. I sometimesi order the 

 lumber from one firm and the body 

 and frames from another. I am not 

 building up or tearing down firms; 

 these companies all aim to do a fair 

 business, but I don't want Acme covers 

 made with less than %-inch lumber — 

 the part of the board that runs down 

 on the sides. 



On top of that Acme cover I put 

 galvanized iron, and about two coats 

 of paint, and two or three thickness 

 of paper underneath. 



Mr. Moore — There is a bee-space 

 over the top of the frames so that the 

 frames set down, and there is % inch 

 space between the top of that and the 

 super-cover, so that the bees can go 

 all over the frames. 



Mr. Diebojd — He means a cover such 

 as is known as the ■Colorado cover. 



Mr. Moore — The latest idea is to 

 have what is called sealed covers; 

 that is, the cover is sealed down over 

 the brood-frames," and any packing 

 you put on top is to keep the heat 

 from getting out; the idea of absorb- 

 ent cushions is practically done away 

 with now. 



Pickled or Black Brood in Illinois. 



"Is there any pickled or black brood 

 in Illinois?" 



Mr. Moore — As I understand it, black 

 brood and European foul brood are the 

 same. 



I found one colony of pickled brood 

 this fall. Pickled brood is nothing 

 that is contagious, or that there is any 

 particular danger from. As I under- 

 stand pickled brood, it is largely 

 caused by moldy bee-bread. 



Dr. Phillips — ^Nobody really knows; 

 it is supposed to be caused by that, 



but I don't think anybody knows; it is 

 simply guess work. It apparently is 

 not contagious. It does not need to 

 worry us any. 



Mr. Moore — I believe that black 

 brood and European foul brood are one 

 and the same thing. 



Wintering Weak Colonies. ^ 



"Is it best to winter weak colonies 

 out-of-door or in the cellar?" 



Miss Holmes — It is best not to have 

 any weak colonies. 



Mr. Moore — The main thing in win- 

 tering bees is to keep the cellar uni- 

 form; it does not matter whether it 

 is damp or dry; the uniform tempera- 

 ture should be as near 45 degrees as 

 possible. 



Mr. iduck — Give them a lot of ven- 

 tilation. 



Mr. Moore — Give them plenty of ven- 

 tilation so that the bees are quiet. If 

 it gets too cold or too hot they will 

 roar. 



Mr, Diebold — My experience is that 

 I have not the right kind of drainage; 

 when a fall of rain comes my cellar 

 gets wet so that it is muddy when 

 walking around in it; I put the bees 

 up high enough out of this. Every 

 morning I make it my business, if it 

 becomes necessary, to go down there 

 and bail out the water; six or seven 

 gallons each morning, and I keep 

 probably four or five gallons of lime 

 in it. I have a shelf wide enough to 

 set the hives on; and I give the bees 

 plenty of ventilation. I have known 

 the thermometer in there to go down 

 as low as 40 degrees above freezing, 

 and as high as 48; fluctuating from 40 

 to 48. 



I have taken them out in the spring 

 when it is nice and warm weather, 

 and have had them in fine shape. I 

 figured that dampness was death to 

 the bees, but having them high enough 

 above the wet bottom, with plenty of 

 ventilation, and distributing that lime 

 through there was what saved the 

 bees. 



I turned miy hen-house into a bee- 

 cage, and I found they wintered in it 

 first-rate, after I had boarded It up 

 properly and used considerable saw- 

 dust and some leaves; but they re- 

 quired quite a good deal of attention. I 

 think that the cellar is the best place 

 for wintering bees, even though it is 

 a little damp. 



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